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SPEUKFICATION iorming part of Letters Patent No. 668,976, dated February 26, 1901.

Application filed February 13,1900. serial No. 5,042. the model.)

To rtZl/ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. CANNON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kewaunee, in the county of Kewaunee and State of \Visconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Building- Blocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a set of improved toy building-blocks adapted to be used to form various articles; and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinationsofdeviceshereinafterdescribed, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompan ying drawings, wherein- Figures 1, 2, and 3 are perspective views showing, respectively, a sled, a table, and a swing made up of my improved buildingblocks; and Fig. 4, is a detail view in plan, showing one of the so-called angle-blocks or cornerangles.

The more important elements of the set of building-blocl s illustrated are the beams 1 2 3, the curved pieces 4, and the so-called angleblocks or corner-angles 5, of which any desired n umber maybe provided. Th e curved pieces 4 are rockershaped-that is, they extend flatwise in a plane, with their curved edges describing curves on that plane, as distinguished from a cylindrical body. In connection with these parts various other pieces,

to be hereinafter noted, may be provided. The beams 1, 2, and 3 may be alike, except that they are of different lengths, and, as shown, they are provided with endless grooves orchannels 6,which run longitudinallyaround four sides of the same, and they are also provided in at least one other side with straight grooves 7, that terminate at their ends. The so-called angle-pieces 5 are of such thickness that their edges are adapted to frictionally fit in any of the grooves 6 or 7 to secure together any two of the said beams 1 2 3 when extended at right angles to each other.

We will now consider the construction of the sled illustrated in Fig. l. The sides of this sled are made up of a pair of the grooved beams 1, four of the short grooved beams 3, two of the curved pieces 4, and two straight sections 3, which latter form the continuations and straight portions of the runners. The sections at and 8 are secured in the grooves 6 of the vertically disposed short beams 3, and the forward portions of the curved sections a are secured in the grooves 6 of the horizon tally-disposed long beams 1, as clearly shown in the drawings. The said verticallydisposed beams 3 are secured to the horizontal beams 4 each by two reversely-extended corner-blocks 5, the right-angled edges of which are pressed into the grooves6 of the said beams 1 and 3. The sides of the runners are connected by horizontally-extended bottom boards 9, the edges or ends of which are pressed into the side grooves 7 of the horizontal beams 1. The dashboard is formed by a vertically-disposed pair of the beams 3, which are spaced apart by a board 10, the ends of which are pressed into the grooves 7 of said beams 3, and the said beams 3 are secured to the forward ends of the horizontal beams 1 by thin and long strips 11, the ends of which are pressed into the grooves 6 of said beams 3 and the under edges of which are pressed into the upper grooves 6 of said horizontal beams 1. The seat is formed by the use of four of the short beams 3, which are connected at the sides in pairs, extending one horizontally and the other vertically, and united by an angleblock 5, which is pressed into the adjacent grooves 6. The bottom of the seat, as shown, is formed by a thin board 12, which may be a duplicate of the board 10 or may have other dimensions,the ends of the same being pressed into the side grooves 7' of the horizontallyextended beams 3. As shown, the back of the seat is formed by several narrow strips 13, the ends of which are pressed into the grooves 7 of the vertically-disposed seat beams or posts 3. The seat as an entirety is adjustably secured on the upper edges of the horizontallyextended thin strips 11, the upper edges of which are pressed into the lower portions of the grooves 7 of the seat-posts 3.

The table (shown in Fig. 2) uses four of the grooved beams 2 and four of the cu rved pieces,

4. The curved pieces 4: are crossed, and their ends are pressed into the grooves 6 of the beams 2, which they connect. The lower beams 2 are connected by one or more (as shown, two) thin strips 14, the ends of which are pressed into the grooves '7 of the lower beams 2. A table-top 15 is then laid loosely upon the upper beams 2.

The swing (illustrated in Fig. 3) employs two of the long beams 1, two of the short beams 3, one of the medium-length beams 2, and also four or more of the corner-blocks 5. The short beams 3 are connected by a thin flat board 16, the ends of which are pressed into the grooves 6 thereof. The long beams 2 are Vertically disposed and are secured to the beams 3 each by one of the corner-blocks 5, which are pressed into the grooves 6 of said beams 1 and into the grooves 7 of said beams 3. The top beam 2 is in a similar manner connected to the upper ends of the vertical beams 1 each by a corner-block 5, the edges of which are pressed into the grooves 7 of said beams 1 and 2. A swing-rope 17and a seat 18 complete the swing.

The blocks abovedescribed may be formed into various other articles, and more or less additional parts may be used in connection with the grooved beams, corner-angles or angle-blocks, and the curved pieces.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A set of building-blocks, comprising the beams having the grooves 6 forming endless channels in the sides and ends of the same, the triangular corner-blocks 5 fitting said grooves 6, and the rocker-shaped curved strips also fitting said grooves 6, said parts cooperating substantially as described.

2. A set of building-blocks comprising a plurality of beams of various lengths, having the grooves 6 and 7, the former forming an endless channel longitudinally around said beam, and the latter extending from end to end thereof, the triangular corner-blocks 5 fitting said grooves 6 and 7, and the curved rocker-shaped strips ialsofittingsaid grooves 6 and 7, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD A. CANNON.

Witnesses:

H. R. ERICHSEN, W. W. CANNON. 

